kochi l monday l june 20, 2022 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION war in ukraine could go on for years, warns NATo chief Jens Stoltenberg’s warning comes as Ukrainian president vowed to retake areas that have fallen to Russian forces bad news for economies around the world Stoltenberg’s prediction suggests the world economy could suffer further and possibly plunge into a very deep recession, the likes of which has not been experienced so far. Poorest countries would take the biggest hit. On a positive note, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visiting the Black Sea city of Mykolaiv on Sunday, vowed to restore all that was destroyed ■ 87 Italy joins Qatar’s natural gas project ■ The war that began on February 24 has led to record high inflation and crippling food shortages in many countries With Russia using gas supply as a weapon, Europe has turned to new energy sources. Italy’s Eni on Sunday signed up to expand production from Qatar’s largest natural gas field | P9 N.o. of Russian troops killed on Saturday, according to Ukraine CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Narrow escape for 185 passengers as Delhi-bound plane catches fire R a m s h a n k a r @ Patna As many as 185 passengers of a Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight had a narrow escape on Sunday as one of the aircraft’s engines caught fire shortly after take-off following a suspected bird hit. Flight SG-723 took off from Patna airport at 12.04 pm. According to airport officials, “soon after the take-off, the pilot noticed there was an engine problem as the wing started emitting smoke and flames and loud noises.” The pilot promptly turned off the engine and contacted Air Traffic Control to make an emergency landing. The Boeing 737 landed in Patna at 12.22 pm, 18 minutes after it took off. “The flight landed safely and all 185 passengers, including two infants, de-boarded safely . A full emergency was declared Top def officers rebut criticism, say Agnipath on Army to hold 83 recruitment rallies across the country; draft notification on hires today M AYANK SINGH @ New Delhi With the general situation across the nation easing a tad after days of violent protests, the government fielded senior tri-services officers as well as from the defence ministry to rebut criticism, convey that the short-term Agnipath recruitment scheme was very much on, and to indicate a broad timeline of its rollout. Fielding questions at a press conference on whether the government proposed to review or roll back the scheme, Lt Gen Puri, additional secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, shot back, “No, why should there be a rollback?” He said the whole objective was reduce the average age of the personnel in uniform. “I will give you an example. Do you know how many casualties are reported just for health purposes from high altitude areas? Do read about it, then you would come to know why young is important,” he said. Putting the protesters on notice, Lt Gen Puri warned that they will find no place in the Agnipath scheme. “The Army’s foundation is discipline. There is no space for arson or vandalism. Every individual will give a certificate that they were not part of the protest or vandalism. Police verification is 100%; no one can join without that. If any FIR is lodged against them, they can’t join,” he said. As for allowances, Agniveers will get them at par with regular soldiers. Also the family of any Agniveer sacrificing his/ her life in the service of the nation will get compensation of `1 crore. While many experts have wondered why the defence ministry did not see the need to run a pilot project to test the idea, Lt Gen Puri suggested the Lt General Anil Puri gestures as he addresses a tri-services press meet in New Delhi on Sunday | Parveen Negi at the airport and the situation was dealt with effectively air,” port director Atul Prakash informed. According to Patna district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh, people living close to the airport alerted the district administration and the airport authorities after they noticed smoke coming out of the plane. The airport administration alerted the ATC, who radioed it to the pilot. The pilot, however, Viral vid shows fire beneath left wing A video shot from inside the aircraft shows sparks from under the left wing of the plane. A DGCA official confirmed the validity of the video. This is the second time in over a month that a SpiceJet aircraft had to turn back after a snag within minutes of its take off Enquiry ordered into controversial NRI woman’s presence at assembly complex E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram ‘Not a delegate or invitee’ Speaker M B Rajesh on Sunday ordered a probe by the chief marshal into how controversial non-resident Keralite Anitha Pullayil entered the assembly premises to attend the third edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS). Italy-based Anitha, a former associate of Monson Mavunkal booked in the fake antiques case, was noticed in the assembly complex, the venue of the Loka Kerala Sabha, by some mediapersons on Saturday . Realising that she had been recognised, Anitha tried to evade the reporters and entered the office of the Sabha TV the , assembly’s television channel. NORKA Roots vice-chairman P Sreeramakrishnan said she was neither a delegate nor an invitee to the event The scribes gathered outside the door, and waited for her. Seeing the commotion, the Watch and Ward staff intervened, and showed her the door. Anitha was neither a delegate nor an invitee to the event, said NORKA Roots vice-chairman P Sreeramakrishnan. “However, the public were granted permission to attend seminars and the open forum which were held outside the assembly,” he said. As the inci- dent snowballed into a controversy, the speaker directed Chief Marshal Manoj Nair to check the CCTV visuals and hold an enquiry into how she got into the assembly complex. It has come to light that Anitha entered the assembly complex with the help of Praveen, who provides technical support to the Sabha TV apparently to , watch her interview taken by the assembly channel during the last edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha.A senior assembly official told TNIE that Sabha TV has given a Kochi-based company, Bitryt Solutions Private Limited, the rights to upload various programmes on the assembly channel. ● More on P4 “We want a mix of josh and hosh. That is why we want to reduce the age profile. The average age is 32 years at present and we want to reduce it as per the recommendations of the Kargil review committee and Arun Singh committee report,” Lt Gen Puri said E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Kozhikode Muslim League state secretary K M Shaji’s outburst against NRI businessman Yusuffali M A over his remarks on the Opposition for boycotting the Loka Kerala Sabha has created ripples within the party. Shaji has become an instant hero of the party workers on social media, who hail him as the true representative of the Opposition. Though Shaji’s anger during the speech in Bahrain on Saturday was directed at the businessman, many believe IUML express read Two youths die as bikes collide during stunt setting an example Prime Minister Narendra Modi picks up litter while inspecting the newly-opened Indian Trade Promotion Organisation tunnel built under Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor Project, in New Delhi on Sunday | PTI T’Puram: Two youths died after their motorcycles collided while performing a stunt on the NH-66 bypass section at Kalluvettankuzhi at Vizhinjam here on Sunday. Police said the bikers had been approaching each other on their motorcycles at high speed when they collided. P4 pangs of separation No mom’s care, tribal children in hostels face emotional trauma M a n o j V i s w a n at h a n @Kochi She used to flutter around like a butterfly in Uriampatti, a tribal settlement located deep inside Kuttampuzha forest. A chatterbox, the five-year-old loved playing with her friends and to sleep hugging her mother. Now, two weeks after joining the pre-matric hostel at Mathirappilly near Kothamangalam, Saranya (name changed) is yet to come to terms with the reality. From the tranquil tribal colony, her life has suddenly been shifted to a semi-urban village and the emotional trauma of separation is taking a toll on the child. Children enrolled in Classes 1 and 2 watch their seniors play at the tribal hostel for girls at Mathirappilly near Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district | T P Sooraj The state government’s decision to shut down alternate learning centres in remote trib- the airport and raised an alarm. But the cabin crew asked us to keep quiet,” another said. The post-landing flight inspection showed that three fan blades of the jet’s left engine were damaged in the suspected bird hit. The airport director said the airline made an alternative arrangement for stranded passengers to reach their destination. 6 High Courts get new CJs New Delhi: Six high courts got new chief justices after the government accepted the recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium, the Department of Justice in the Union Law Ministry announced on Sunday. While five high court judges were elevated as chief justices, the chief justice of the Telangana High Court, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, was transferred to the Delhi High Court in the same capacity. The vacancy so created in the Telangana High Court has been filled by promoting Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the same court as its chief justice. Delhi High Court judge Vipin Sanghi was appointed as the chief justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. transfers in the higher judiciary Name Vipin Sanghi, judge, Delhi HC HC where appointed as Chief Justice Uttarakhand Ujjal Bhuyan, judge, Telangana HC Telangana Amjad Ahtesham Sayed, judge, Bombay HC Himachal Pradesh Shinde Sambhaji Shiwaji, judge, Bombay HC Rajasthan Rashmin Manharbhai Chhaya, judge, Gujarat HC Name Satish Chandra Sharma, Chief Justice, Telangana HC Gauhati HC where transferred As Chief Justice, Delhi HC K M Shaji’s tirade against Yusuffali creates ripples in Muslim League Mix of josh and hosh first batch of 46,000 hires was meant to do just that — analyse the outcome to tweak the scheme if needed. “In the next 4-5 years, our intake will be 50,000-60,000 and will increase to 90,000-1 lakh subsequently. We’ve started small at 46,000 to analyse the scheme...and to build up infra capacity. Our intake of Agniveers will go up to 1.25 lakh in the near future,” he said. Air Marshal S K Jha said, “Agniveer batch 1 registration will start from June 24 and from July 24, phase 1 of the online examination process would start. Training would commence by December 30.” As for the Army Lt Gen Ban, si Ponappa said a draft notification on the hiring will be issued on Monday. Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said the first batch of naval recruits would join training by November 21. Video grab of the engine on fire | PTI was aware of the situation by then. After receiving the clearance from Air Traffic Controller, the pilot landed the plane on one engine. The fire was doused soon after landing and there is no serious damage to the fuselage. After de-boarding, passengers shared their experiences. “I have never gotten so scared in my life,” one of them said. “We felt tremors inside the flight soon after it took off from al colonies has not only affected the teachers but has also devastated the lives of children who are forced to shift to Model Residential Schools (MRS) and prematric hostels at a very young age. In these congested hostel buildings, students from Classes 1 to XII jostle for space. According to phycologists, separation from the family makes the child a stranger both in their traditional environment and the adopted urban surroundings, sometimes leading to depression. Besides, the children will be able to meet their parents only during the Onam, X’mas and summer vacations. There are 79 children at the tribal girls’ hostel at Mathirappilly near Muvattupuzha — 13 of them class I students and nine Class II students. “Most of the children face emotional issues in the initial days as they are staying away from the family for the first time. But they adapt very fast, mainly with the help of other children from the same settlement. Only two children were depressed after reaching the hostel, but they adapted to the environment fast. The mother of one of the children had some emotional issues and the family members took the child to the colony last week,” said hostel warden Sunitha. Parents agree that the children are getting good food and care at the Mathirappilly tribal ● More on P5 hostel.  national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty was the real target. Shaji said the businessman (without naming Yusuffali) may have reasons to please Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to protect his business interests. “You can do that, but don’t try to purchase IUML,” he said. While addressing the Loka Kerala Sabha on Friday Yusuf, fali had criticised the UDF’s de- cision to abstain from the conference. Shaji’s remarks have surprised the political observers as Yusuffali maintains a good relationship with political figures, including Kunhalikutty. According to them, Shaji’s reference to ‘purchasing’ the party is an innuendo on the alleged Pinarayi-KunhalikuttyYusuffali axis. Kunhalikutty’s detractors believe he is soft towards the LDF government because of his proximity with CM, which is mediated by ● More on P4 Yusuffali.  2 Pak nationals among 4 terrorists killed in Valley area of Kulgam in south Kashmir around 3.30 pm. “In the enFour terrorists, including two suing encounter, two local miliPakistani nationals, were killed tants were killed,” the police in two different encounters that official said. were ongoing in Kashmir on The slain militants were Sunday . identified as Haris Sharief The police and the of Srinagar and Zakir Army launched a joint Padder of Kulgam. search operation in the Haris, according to the forest area of Chandipolice, belonged to gam, Lolab in Kupwara Lashkar while Zakir district based on inforwas associated with mation gleaned from Jaish. Operations an arrested terrorist “Both the killed milS h o w k a t A h m a d will continue itants were part of Sheikh. “By targeting groups involved in sev“During the search innocent civilians eral militancy inciof a hideout, terrorists including women dents, including atfired indiscriminately and kids, tacks on security on the troops. The fire unarmed forces and civilians,” was returned and in policemen and the official said. the ensuing heavy labourers, Operation in that area gunfire, two Pakistani terrorists can’t was going on as well terrorists of Lashkar deter our efforts when re por ts last were killed,” a police to bring peace in came in. officer said, adding Valley,” Inspector Meanwhile, the pothey suspect a few General of Police, lice arrested three asmore terrorists are Kashmir, Vijay sociates of Al-Badr trapped in the area. He Kumar said outfit during checking said heavy exchange in the Wangam area of of gunfire was continuing at Handwara. The trio was identithe time of going to press. fied as Nazim Ahmad Bhat, Another encounter broke out Siraj din Khan and Adil Gull, between militants and security all residents of Kralgund, forces in Damhal Hanjipora Kupwara. F aya z W a n i @ Srinagar